Count Folke Bernadotte, U.N. mediator in Palestine arrived here today and immediately went into conference with Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok. When the conference was completed, he immediately left for the island of Rhodes where he will establish headquarters to negotiate a permanent peace with the Jews and Arabs.
Bernadotte is reported to be anxious to determine exactly when an Israeli delegation will be prepared to proceed to Rhodes. Informed circles here believe that the Jews are not yet prepared to send a delegation, but that a party may depart sometime next week.
Meanwhile, Bernadotte and his aides have been receiving numerous complaints from the Israelis that the Arabs have violated the cease-fire a number of times during the past 48 hours. The mediator has also received complaints from the Arabs in Damascus that the Jews have not held to the agreement. However, he refused to comment until U.N. observers could check the complaints. The Jews told U.N. staff members that they will feel free to act in their own defense if the Arabs do not keep the peace, while the Arabs have threatened to reopen hostilities immediately if the alleged Jewish violations do not cease.
MILITARY ADVISORS URGE BEN GURION TO TAKE STRONG COURSE ON TRUCE VIOLATIONS
Premier David Ben Gurion, who spent several hours yesterday with members of the Israeli high command discussing the problems raised by continued Arab breaking of the truce, was reported to be under pressure to steer a strong course, High military officers are understood to be greatly opposed to further sacrifice, or risk of sacrifice of Jewish lives in attempting to maintain a cease-fire which the Arabs have demonstrated four times they cannot keep or are not interested in keeping.
As a result of continued attacks by Syrian troops in northern Israel, the Jews have decided to take aggressive action, it was reported here. However, other unconfirmed reports currant in Haifa said that the fighting in the north ended in a truce late this afternoon.
The Jews charged this weekend that the Syrians captured Mishmar Hayarden after the truce deadline in an attack begun just before the cease-fire was to go into effect. Israeli complaints to the U.N. listed other attacks on the northern from by plane, infantry and artillery, including the shelling of Ein Geb and the capture of several Jewish villages.
Although most of the American, Belgian and French military officers assigned to assist Bernadotte’s staff in observing that the conditions of the cease-fire are kept have not yet arrived in Palestine, four American officers have arrived in Haifa where they immediately set to work checking the port area. Bernard Joseph, former legal advisor to the Jewish agency, has been appointed a Jewish liaison officer with Bernadette’s staff and has been assigned to aid in the Jerusalem area.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
